Growing Up in Malfoy Manor
by Lileealina
Summary: AU. Together, Draco Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, and Blaise Zabini grow up and grow apart before Hogwarts.
1. Prologue

**.:o:.O.:o:.** **Growing Up in Malfoy Manor** **.:o:.O.:o:.**

**.:o:.** Prologue **.:o:.**

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to it belong to J.K. Rowling and/or Warner Bros.

**.:-:o:-:.**

Four infants were lying in their cribs in the Malfoy Manor nursery. It might seem surprising that such an imposing establishment would contain something as mundane as a nursery, but it was a necessity, and located near the back of the manor in order to be as unobtrusive as possible. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy often "babysat", or rather placed in the care of the house-elves, the children of other influential names in wizarding community. This was one of these times, with the Nott, Malfoy, Parkinson, and Zabini heirs residing in the nursery while the Greengrass heir was being born.

The parents of the said heirs had decided well before Theodore Nott, the eldest of them, had been born, that their children would grow up together, and be able to learn not only from their own mistakes, but the mistakes of their peers. It was agreed upon that doing so would emphasize their superiority above the common, muggle-loving wizards such as the Weasleys, and especially the half-bloods and filthy Mudbloods. Growing up together would also have the added benefit of preventing any outside influences from corrupting their children, for they would be expected to pull together.

As the most wealthy and influential of these five families, the Malfoys most graciously offered to house the five children during the day, assuming that the adults would switch off actually being present in case the house-elves were too inefficient to handle something. The cost of the children would taken care of by their respective parents, and the children would be educated and grow up together. They would be given all the lessons deemed necessary for a wealthy, pureblood heir, including the playing of proper musical instruments, and an adequate knowledge and talent of dancing. Among the less frivolous lessons would be a normal education, such as reading, writing, and maths. It was also decided that the children should be fluent in French as insisted upon by Narcissa Malfoy, who had learned French as a child herself.

Several hours later, the fifth and final heir to enter the Malfoy nursery arrived in the arms of Dobby the house-elf. He very carefully placed little Daphne Greengrass inside her crib, checked the other infants, and crept away without making a sound. Downstairs, the elder Notts, Malfoys, Greengrasses, Parkinsons and Zabinis were having an animated conversation in the parlor.

"House-elf!" snapped Lucius Malfoy as soon as he saw Dobby.

"Yes, sir?" squeaked Dobby.

"Fetch us some refreshments from the kitchens, and don't dawdle," Lucius replied.

"Yes, sir, of course, sir, Dobby is happy to be serving you sir!" Dobby squeaked again.

"Then get to it!" Lucius said sharply, beginning to lose his patience.

"Yes sir, Dobby is apologizing, sir, very sorry, sir," Dobby responded quickly. The little house-elf ran to the kitchens, retrieved the refreshments, and served them in less than five minutes. Retreating back to the kitchens, Dobby proceeded to bang his head repeatedly against a cabinet as a punishment for his dawdling. When his head stopped throbbing enough for him to think properly again, he headed up toward the nursery.

Dobby had been designated as the house-elf mainly responsible for the children. It pained him to know how they would turn out, cold-hearted and cruel, taking the place of their parents in society. Their parents would show them no love, perceiving it as a weakness. They would spend their childhoods with only each other and the other house-elves for company. As he gazed upon the faces of the innocent children, he silently made a vow to himself. He vowed that these five children would be cared for with kindness, that they would somehow learn the value of friendship as long as he, Dobby, one of the Malfoy house-elves, was in charge of their well-being. He inwardly smiled with a quiet triumph, and moved quickly to a relatively deserted part of the manor where he began to punish himself repeatedly for what he knew would be his actions in the next seven years.


	2. From Infants to Toddlers

**.:o:.O.:o:. Growing Up in Malfoy Manor .:o:.O.:o:.**

**.:o:.** Chapter One – From Infants to Toddlers **.:o:.**

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to it belong to J.K. Rowling and/or Warner Bros.

**.:-:o:-:.**

Dobby gathered together several of his house-elf friends in the Manor who had also been concerned for the welfare of the children. Twinkle, Paddy, Dolly, and Jingle met with Dobby a few nights after the birth of little Daphne Greengrass on the twenty-second of June. Dobby knew that these four house-elves had no love for the elder Malfoys and would gladly assist in ensuring that young Master Draco and his friends did not suffer the same fate as their parents. Any supervising witches or wizards would most likely stay well away from the children while they were still too young to receive daily lessons, so the house-elves felt secure in the knowledge that they would have a few more years to take care of the young ones. They lovingly cuddled and took great care of the youngest masters and mistresses in the Manor during the day. This special care proved to be much easier to conceal from the parents then the house-elves had anticipated.

Dobby and the others watched on with a secret pride as the children learned to talk, crawl, and eventually walk. Such advances were of course reported to the parents, who seemed pleased and completely unaware of the loving atmosphere inside the nursery. There were several times when the house-elves could only watch helplessly as the children were scolded or lectured to tears, but made sure to be there to comfort them. Fortunately, there were other memorable moments that proved to be more pleasant to recall. However, there was one instance that caused much fear in the five house-elves, occurring on Draco's second birthday.

**.:-:o:-:.**

The children were celebrating Draco's birthday in the playroom adjoining the nursery, with several other children in attendance, among them the children of the Goyles, Crabbes, and Bulstrodes. Draco had somehow slipped past Spuffy, the house-elf supervising the children's party, and into the parlor where the adults were celebrating.

"Hi," said Draco, looking up at the witches and wizards assembled in the parlor. "My birthday!" he announced proudly. Narcissa Malfoy, however, was less than pleased.

"Draco dear! What on earth are you doing down here? You should be upstairs playing with your little friends!" she exclaimed, hurrying over to her escaped son. A swift glare from Lucius had Paddy placing the plate of refreshments that he was serving down on a table. He picked the boy up and hurried toward the playroom, followed by Narcissa and Lucius.

"Which house-elf was supervising the children?" demanded Lucius in a deadly whisper once they had arrived in the playroom.

"I was, sir," squeaked Spuffy, coming to the front of the room from where he had been attempting to stop the younger Goyle and Crabbe from hitting each other.

"I assume that it was you who allowed Draco to escape into the parlor?" questioned Lucius disdainfully.

"Sir, I wasn't being aware that young Master Draco left the room, sir-" began Spuffy anxiously.

"Obviously," Lucius sneered. "Come with me. Paddy, I am entrusting the children into your care for the rest of the party. Be sure that you do a better job than Spuffy…" Lucius left the threat hanging ominously in the air before he swept out of the room with Spuffy at his heels.

"Now Draco, you'll be a dear and _stay_ up here for Mother, won't you?" asked Narcissa as she awkwardly patted Draco lightly on the head. Then she, too, strode away toward the party. When Lucius reappeared a few minutes later and received questioning looks from the other guests, he hastened to reassure them that nothing had happened that would cause any measure of alarm.

"That house-elf has been slipping, but he has been taken care of. Do you wish for more tea?" asked Lucius, ever playing the gracious host. There were murmurs of agreement and Lucius snapped for Dusty to serve the guests.

Up in the playroom, the party continued without further incident. Cake was served and some of it was eaten. The house-elves hastily cleaned up the mess before anyone could see it, but there was a tense silence between the Dobby and his friends. Would Master and Mistress Malfoy suspect anything? The five of them had been watching over the children the most, and as a result had spent the most time with them. Would they be forbidden from seeing the children? Surely they would wonder how Draco had had the nerve to leave the playroom, especially from the scolding he had been given the last time he had left… What if they put two and two together and realized that the house-elves were not keeping their emotional distance and not enforcing all of the rules set out for the young ones?

However, the day faded into night without any unusual punishments for the house-elves, and they eventually relaxed when neither mistress nor master seemed to have kept the day's events on their minds. They did feel rather sorry for Spuffy, who was never again seen by Dobby and his friends or the children.

**.:-:o:-:.**

The house-elves considered themselves to be extremely lucky that there were no masters or mistresses in the Manor on the day that the children discovered the joys of sliding down the banisters of the grand staircase in the foyer of the Malfoy Manor. These banisters had a gentle slope and curved elegantly downward and ended about six inches from the floor, perfect for little three-year-old toddlers to slide down on. Imagine the surprise of Dobby and his friends when they went to check on the children after leaving them in the playroom for a few minutes to find them sliding down the banisters and giggling happily. They were at first panicked that the children would fall off and hurt themselves, but they seemed to have the hang of it. Dobby didn't want to disrupt their fun, but knew they could not be allowed to do this without unpleasant consequences for both child and house-elf.

"Master Draco! Please, stop sliding on the banisters!" said Dobby worriedly.

"But…sliding fun!" protested Draco from his spot on the floor, before he moved quickly out of the way of the upcoming form of Theodore Nott sliding down.

"Sliding reeeally fun!" agreed Daphne, who had sailed down primly on the other banister.

"Oh, what will we be doing?" asked Twinkle anxiously.

"We can be watching them for a bit, until Master and Mistress come back," suggested Jingle, looking on with amusement as Blaise and Pansy also came sliding down.

"Well, young masters and mistresses can be sliding down, but you must be going back to the playroom when Dobby is saying you must," Dobby told the little group of toddlers, who readily agreed. About an hour later, the house-elves began to get rather jumpy and decided that they should put a stop to the sliding while they were sure the parents were still out of the Manor.

"Young masters and mistresses must be stopping now. Your parents might be coming soon. Time to be going in the playroom," Dolly coaxed. There were a chorus of disappointed toddler noises, but even they didn't want to be caught by their parents, and allowed the house-elves to transport them to the playroom.

"Now, masters and mistresses must be playing nicely in the playroom with all the nice toys," said Dobby.

"Paddy will be watching young masters and mistresses," volunteered Paddy. The other house-elves agreed and went back to the staircase to make sure that no evidence was there to suggest how the five children had spent their day. Back in the playroom, Paddy was instructing the children to not breath a word of their activities that day to anyone, especially not their parents.

"You must not be telling your parents, for they will be very angry," said Paddy.

"We won' tell," promised Draco solemnly.

"Theo no tell," added Theo.

"No tell," repeated Daphne and Pansy.

"No tell _anyone_", said Blaise emphatically.

"Very good," said Paddy in relief. It was a good thing the children were so willing to listen to Paddy and the four other house-elves, otherwise their actions would have been found out long ago. The Staircase Sliding was one of the many secrets shared by the five house-elves and the five children.

* * *

A/N: That's it for this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it, or at least found it somewhat possible. :) Anyway, responses to reviews will be in my bio, with the current chapter's review responses up. Thanks for reading! 


	3. Lessons and a Salad

**.:o:.O.:o:. Growing Up in Malfoy Manor .:o:.O.:o:.**

**.:o:.** Chapter Two – Lessons and a Salad **.:o:.**

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to it belong to J.K. Rowling and/or Warner Bros.

**.:-:o:-:.**

When the children reached the age of four, it was decided that their lessons should begin. Every morning, the children received an hour each of tutoring in maths, reading, and writing before lunch, adding up to three hours of lessons for each of them. After lunch, they would be allowed to burn some youthful energy off in the courtyard before settling down for a nap. After the nap would come one hour of English and one hour of French every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or one hour of music and one hour of dancing every Tuesday and Thursday. When all of the children turned five, Saturdays and Sundays were reserved for a more biased version of Muggle Studies, which included Muggle History.

The Malfoys, Greengrasses, Notts, Parkinsons, and Zabinis felt that one must know one's enemy well if one wanted to defeat them. Learning about muggles and their history would teach their children about the foolish mistakes muggles made and emphasize their inferiority, as well as preventing criticism for looking down upon the ways of muggles and Mudbloods without adequate knowledge of them. These lessons also had the added benefit of increasing the children's instilled dislike of muggles and Mudbloods. Having gone through similar lessons themselves, the adults knew how irritating it was to have to learn the various things that muggles got up to. The children were immensely relieved that they would be learning wizarding history in Hogwarts, which they wouldn't attend for several more years.

"Why do muggles have to go and do all this stuff so we have to learn about it?" asked a frustrated five-year-old Draco one sunny Saturday morning.

"I dunno. I wish we didn't have to do all this work before we got to go outside," said Theo, staring morosely at his piece of parchment, on which he was to dictate four sentences to his Dictation Quill about the morning's lesson on Elizabeth the First. Of course, as they were still young, the lessons did not go into much depth, only concentrating on main points.

"Muggles are boring," agreed Daphne, who had actually finished her Elizabeth the First paragraph already.

"Can you help me with my maths paper, Daphne?" asked Pansy, who was frowning at her parchment-full of equations.

"OK," replied Daphne, bending over to see the parchment.

A few hours later, after making sure that all of their work was indeed done, the children were allowed to go outside to play. Having already been instructed in swimming, their clothes were transfigured by the house-elves before they carefully stepped into the pool created by the elder Malfoys for that purpose. After a few minutes of peaceful swimming and no unnecessary splashing, during which a few parents were watching shrewdly, the house-elves cast Silencing Charms around the pool to ensure that the parents, who had left, would not hear the sounds that would undoubtedly issue forth and come to investigate. Charms were also used to ensure that the water would stay inside the pool, and the real fun began.

Had the charms not been in place, one would have heard screams of laughter as a splash fight took place between the five children. The house-elves kept a careful watch to make sure that no one got hurt, but the children were gentle enough in their boisterous behavior that no one was actually hurt. The pool was wide and shallow, and quite a time was had when they decided to play a bit of tag. As their time for playing drew to an end, the children were quickly dried off and sent to their respective rooms set up in the Manor to change for dinner.

**.:-:o:-:.**

There were, of course, days when the tutors could not come, and the children would be free of lessons. Oftentimes they would simply play in the courtyard, but when they were extreme lucky and the parents were also out, leaving them alone with the house-elves, the children got up to all sorts of mischief. They had become more proficient at sliding down the banisters, and often came down to the kitchens to watch the house-elves work. Dobby and the others were pleased that the children knew not to disturb the house-elves as they prepared meals.

One such day, Dobby noticed Draco and Daphne avidly watching as Sprinkles, one of the best cooks of the Manor house-elves, prepared an elaborate dish for the dinner party later that evening. They seemed to be more interested than was usual, almost as though they were trying to memorize the procedure.

"Master Draco? Mistress Daphne?" asked Dobby.

"Oh, hi, Dobby," they replied absently, still looking fixedly at Sprinkles. Dobby got a little idea in his head, and he decided to take a chance.

"Would young Master and Mistress like to be helping to prepare the food?" Dobby offered. Their eyes were wide as they turned their attention away from Sprinkles to look at Dobby.

"Really?" asked Draco.

"Do you think Mother or Father would be angry?" asked Daphne, excitement barely noticeable beneath her worry.

"No one will be angry if no one is knowing," replied Dobby in secretive voice, making Draco and Daphne giggle a bit, the tension draining away as they nodded eagerly.

"All right, this is what you will need to be doing," began Dobby. He led them away toward a less complicated salad. He made sure their hands were properly washed before handing them a bowl and various types of lettuce. He instructed them to carefully pluck out the leaves and place them in the bowl, using any combination of lettuces that they wanted to, and told Paddy to supervise them. After several minutes of peaceful plucking, Paddy deemed it safe to leave for a few minutes.

"This doesn't look very yummy," commented Draco as he continued plucking lettuce leaves and placing them into the bowl.

"There should be more stuff in here," agreed Daphne, stopping her plucking to look around.

"Let's put lemons in it!" exclaimed Draco in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, Dobby's lemon tarts are always good," said Daphne, reaching for a few lemons that were already sliced in half. The two of them proceeded to squeeze lemon juice all over the salad, as well as adding little grapes, cherries, blueberries, and strawberries.

"It's a fruit salad," said Draco happily when they were done.

"We can cook!" said Daphne proudly, and the two of them laughed. They continued with their plucking, covering up the berries by the time Paddy had returned.

"Young Master and Mistress are doing a good job," commented Paddy, making Draco and Daphne beam with pride.

"The party is beginning now, Master is starting early, Master is saying to send in the salads now!" Dobby shouted frantically as he ran into the kitchens.

"Young Masters and Mistresses must be leaving now, or else you will be in trouble," said Paddy, shooing them away.

"Paddy, you must be sending up the salad, and hurry!" said Dobby, moving toward the other courses. Paddy grabbed the big bowl of "fruit salad" that Draco and Daphne had made and rushed out into the formal dining hall where all of the adults were assembled; the children would have a separate meal in upstairs. Paddy used his house-elf magic to quickly mix up the salad before he entered, and his eyes widened in horror as he saw the extra ingredients it contained. He realized it was too late to do anything and could only hope no one got into too much trouble when he heard Lucius call again.

"About time," said Lucius coldly as Paddy entered the hall with the salad.

"Paddy is very sorry, sir, very, very sorry," said Paddy respectfully, surprising himself by managing to keep the fear out of his voice. He quickly served the salad to all of the people seated at the enormous table, keeping his head down and heading back to the kitchens as quickly as he could without running. He did not want to be there when the salad was tasted…

"This is…a very interesting recipe," commented Marigold Parkinson, the first person to take a bite.

"It must be an…experiment of the house-elves," said Narcissa lightly after she, too, tasted the salad.

"Quite interesting, indeed…" muttered Lucius. After about another ten minutes, the salads were mostly finished and Lucius waved his wand, sounding a large bell. House-elves came to clear the table and serve the next course. Luckily for everyone, there were no further incidents.

When both dinners were finished, the children retreated to the playroom, where Paddy and Dobby scolded Draco and Daphne, who were highly apologetic.

"Does that mean we can't come down to the kitchens anymore?" asked Daphne, eyes wide.

"No…you may be coming back, as long as you is following instructions," relented Dobby at the adorable look on her face.

"Thank you!" exclaimed Draco happily, exchanging a grin with Daphne.

"You guys can get away with _anything_," said Theo later that night, laughing.

"That's because the salad was _interesting_," said Daphne.

"It's a good thing it was, or else we'd be in so much trouble," added Draco.

"I'm glad adults eat funny things," responded Daphne, causing the other four to start laughing.

"It's fun being a kid," said Blaise a while later, just before they had to go to bed. Everyone was staying over at the Manor that night.

"I wish we didn't have to grow up, even if we do learn spells and stuff," agreed Pansy.

"At least we'll always be friends, right?" asked Draco. There were nods and murmurs of agreement.

"No matter what," said Daphne, prompting a group hug, much to the delight of Dobby, Twinkle, Paddy, Jingle, and Dolly.

"Time for bed, young mistresses," said Dolly and Twinkle.

"And it is time for bed for you too, young masters," added Dobby. The five children bid each other good night and went to their respective rooms to get ready for bed.

* * *

A/N: This is going to be a relatively short story, with the next chapter most likely being the last "official" chapter, followed by an epilogue. Well, hope you've enjoyed the three chapters already done, and continue enjoying the next two! Thanks for reading, and I wouldn't object to a few reviews coming in, too… 


	4. A Trip

**.:o:.O.:o:. Growing Up in Malfoy Manor .:o:.O.:o:.**

**.:o:.** Chapter Three – A Trip **.:o:.**

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to it belong to J.K. Rowling and/or Warner Bros.

**.:-:o:-:.**

After the five were old enough to pay attention and follow instructions, they began to go on trips a few times a month to a Muggle city, where their parents would take great delight in pointing out how unsophisticated and barbaric the Muggles were. They would often visit antique shops or ones that sold interesting curios or specialty items, where Draco, Daphne, Pansy, Theo, and Blaise would have to wait impatiently by the door for their parents. One such day, although it started out normally enough, was to be the first of many changes…

After a light breakfast and several instructions, they all went to a city not too far from Greengrass House. In addition to several specialty shops and pubs, there was a department store in the city as well. Needless to say, the children were less than thrilled to be dragged along on another shopping spree and receive lectures of how horrible Muggles were and how they should not be allowed to exist.

The mothers had gone into a specialty jewelry shop, while the fathers had opted to go to a pub. The children, having been instructed to stay inside the rather small department store, were standing around in the children's area, Daphne and Draco examining some books with an air of boredom, Pansy looking at the dolls with some distaste, and Theo and Blaise examining some remote control cars with a little interest.

"This is so boring… I wish our mothers and fathers wouldn't make us go to a bunch of boring old cities every month," commented Draco, flipping through a thick book without glancing at it.

"They always say it's for our 'education', when all we do is stand around while they go and have fun," agreed Daphne, placing another book back on the shelf.

"And all this stuff is so…weird! I mean, there isn't anything really good here," added Pansy coming up behind them.

"So, what do you want to do?" asked Draco, putting the book back in favor of a floppier one that would make more noise.

"Let's go see what Theo and Blaise are doing," suggested Daphne, heading towards the other boys. The other two followed her toward the toy section right next to the book section.

"Anything interesting?" asked Draco, looking at the cars.

"These cars that move around by themselves were at first, but now they're kinda boring. After all, in a few years _we'll_ be able to make a lot more stuff move around a lot faster," said Theo, putting a car back on the shelf.

"Yeah, it gets boring after looking at the same car move the same way every single time," agreed Blaise, poking at a silvery race car.

"I guess I'll just go back and look at the dolls… At least that way I can learn what I should never, ever wear," said Pansy with a slight shrug and laugh.

"Yeah, we'll go back to the books… Maybe there'll be something interesting there after all," said Daphne, heading back towards the shelf.

"I doubt it," replied Draco with a slight scoff.

"Do you have a better idea?" asked Daphne, smiling slightly.

"If I did, I wouldn't be following you around, would I?" asked Draco with a smirk of his own. The two of them reached the books shortly after and scanned the titles.

"Anything interesting?" asked Draco after a moment.

"Not really," replied Daphne with a bored sigh.

Just then, a young girl with two extremely thick braids and an air of confidence about her turned the corner and headed towards the shelf of books.

"Excuse me, but could you please move over a bit? I wanted to get that book right there," said the girl, pointing at a book behind Draco, "last week, but we ran out of time and were only able to come back today. I really like it because it's about this wizard who helps fight an evil prince who wants to burn all of the books in the entire world. Isn't it interesting how writers can make magic seem so real? I think it is. Oh, and my name's Hermione, by the way. What's yours?"

Draco and Daphne exchanged uncertain glances. This girl was obviously a Muggle, and she was certainly quite rude for jumping over and talking so much to them without even a proper introduction. Snippets of past lectures floated across their minds as they remembered that Muggles were rude, dimwitted creatures that didn't even deserve to be pitied. They silently agreed to just back away and head towards the others, but the girl spoke again.

"Well, there's really no need to be shy, you know, it's quite easy just to tell me your name. Are you two related, or from around here? I like your hair by the way, it's really nice, um…?" said the Muggle girl who said her name was Hermione.

"Daphne," replied Daphne before she could stop herself. She had always enjoyed compliments.

"And, uh, Draco," added Draco, shooting a puzzled glance towards Daphne, who shrugged.

"Draco? That's an interesting name, and it's so much easier to say than mine, but I don't like being called by a nickname, my parents always call me 'Hermy' and it drives me crazy," said Hermione, still talking quite rapidly.

"Oh," was all Draco could think of to say to this new revelation.

"So…you don't think magic is real?" asked Daphne, who thought that Hermione seemed quite intelligent for a Muggle.

"Well, it can't be, can it? Otherwise everyone would know about it, wouldn't they?" replied Hermione reasonably.

"Not if the wizards and witches could hide themselves," said Draco, starting to become interested despite himself.

"But they can't, so they don't exist," insisted Hermione.

"Whatever," replied Daphne, cutting into what would have become a bit of a debate.

"Anyway, I have to get my book," added Hermione.

"This one?" asked Draco, reaching for one of the books on the shelf.

"Yes, thanks. Are they your friends, too?" asked Hermione as she accepted the book, glancing at Pansy, Theo and Blaise, who had come towards them.

"Yeah, this is Pansy, Theo, and Blaise," answered Daphne, pointing to each one of them. They all muttered hellos, which were returned with another monologue from Hermione.

"Oh, I've got to go; my mum'll be waiting for me. Will I see you around?" asked Hermione, heading towards the front of the store.

"Nah, we probably won't come back here again," replied Draco.

"Oh, all right. Bye, then," replied Hermione, walking away.

"Bye!" called Daphne, waving at Hermione, who returned it.

"Um, you guys…" began Pansy hesitantly, but it was too late.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Lucius Malfoy harshly as he strode into view, causing Draco and Daphne to whirl around in shock, "Can you not be left alone for a short period of time without, without…" he couldn't even seem to finish he sentence, he was so disgusted.

"Socializing with filth like her! What on earth would your parents say, Daphne?" demanded Narcissa coldly. Daphne flinched slightly at the mention of her parents, who despised Muggles as much as, if not more than, the Malfoys did.

"I thought that you children were raised better than to associate with such rubbish! Have you no shame at all? Come, all of you are going home this instant, and I'm afraid your parents won't be too pleased that they had to cut their trips short because their children were…being _friendly_ with _a Muggle_!" finished Lucius, his voice now a deadly hiss.

Draco and Daphne glanced guiltily at the other three, who looked rather angry because they hadn't done anything, and they all followed the irate elder Malfoys out of the store and back to their respective homes.

.:-:o:-:.

A/N: This was originally supposed to be half of one chapter, but I decided to split it. So, here's the second to last chapter before the epilogue, and I will hopefully have up the next one up a bit more quickly.


	5. Repercussions

**Growing Up in Malfoy Manor**

**.: Chapter Four – Repercussions :.**

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to it belong to J.K. Rowling and/or Warner Bros.

**.:-:.**

When the Malfoys returned to the manor after returning Daphne, Pansy, Theo and Blaise to their respective parents, each varying in their outrage, a cold fury surrounded Lucius and Narcissa that made Draco want to shrink back. He had never seen either of them so angry, and all over speaking with a Muggle? All of the lectures and warnings about them had always seemed so abstract and theoretical, something that wouldn't actually affect him—the horror such an interaction inspired in his parents caught him a bit off guard.

"Daphne I can nearly understand; despite their blood and wealth the Greengrasses are sorely lacking in the proper pureblood pride. Pretentious and merely power-hungry, they are. But _you_ Draco! Have we not raised you better?" His father's voice was a hiss of contempt, startling Draco out of his distracted thoughts. He could only look at his parents, wide-eyed.

"Do you know the words my family lived by, Draco? _Toujours pur_, always pure. You have disgraced your bloodline today, associating with a filthy, common Mudblood," said Narcissa, the softness of her voice rendering it no less effective.

"And yet, Narcissa, he is only a child, not yet Hogwarts age," mused Lucius, eyes narrowing in thought. "Perhaps we have been too…_lenient_ in our parenting…"

His wife lifted her gaze from her son to her husband. "True…it is not Draco's fault that he has been undereducated." A look of understanding passed between them before they both raised their voices to call out, "_Dobby!_"

Dobby's _crack_ as he appeared in the parlor caused Draco to stiffen in alarm. Would Dobby get into trouble because he got caught misbehaving?

"What is Master and Mistress Malfoy needing Dobby for?" asked Dobby nervously, glancing confusedly over at a still cringing Draco.

"As you well remember, elf, Narcissa and I placed you in charge of ensuring the children were properly looked after," began Lucius coldly.

"Yes, Dobby was being put in charge," the house-elf replied cautiously.

"Obviously you failed to adequately instruct them, as they were found associating with a Muggle child earlier today. As it is apparent that such delicate matters cannot be left to an incompetent creature such as yourself, you are hereby relieved of your duties in regard to the children. Draco will be educated by _proper_ witches and wizards," Lucius finished with a cruel sneer.

"B-but-!" Draco couldn't help protesting.

"This is not up for negotiation, Draco," his mother warned, a slight frown marring her features as she took in his objection.

Dobby gave a low bow and replied quietly, "Yes, Master, of course, Master," before returning to his previous activity.

The next several hours were spent listening to his parents outline a curriculum that would make him understand how Muggles were completely despicable, interspersed with reminders of how disappointing his behavior had been and remonstrations to never repeat it. The other children were forbidden from visiting for at least a month, partly as a punishment and partly to allow Lucius and Narcissa to reevaluate the benefits of their company and influences on their young son.

**.:-:.**

After the Zabinis returned home, Blaise's mother decided that he would accompany her on all of her future travels so that she could keep a more watchful eye on his behavior and associations. A visible son might also her during her travels, make her seem more approachable or vulnerable or some such rubbish, she thought with amusement. It would beneficial to have her son on hand when she met any future suitors; after all, it was always a headache when Blaise took a particular dislike to one of her new husbands. She gazed at her current husband as she contemplated this; he was starting to bore her already…

**.: -:.**

When the Notts began berating their son, Theo made the mistake of complaining that he hadn't even done anything, he'd barely even _seen_ the stupid Muggle girl. This did end up causing his parents to scale back their diatribe on his lack of pureblood pride and honor, instead shifting their focus to why he had not backed off immediately upon realizing what his friends were up to. The concern that the other children were damaging their son's future and their reputation prompted his parents to decide he was much better off without the corrupting influences of the other children. He bitterly wished he had kept his mouth shut as his parents espoused the virtues of operating alone and unencumbered.

**.:-:.**

When Pansy, too, told her parents she had not been involved in the "Muggle incident," her parents were thrilled. Sending their daughter off to her room, they began to plot a scheme to re-ingratiate themselves with the Malfoys, knowing their political power could only benefit them. In doing so, the Parkinsons made sure to emphasize young Daphne Greengrass's role in the debacle and simultaneously elaborate on how Pansy could only be a good influence on Draco.

**.:-:.**

The Greengrasses were absolutely furious. Not only did their daughter interact with a Muggle, the Parkinsons were pointing fingers at her, insinuating a lack of pureblood pride and good sense. Worse still, it seemed the Malfoys were inclined to believe them. After several vociferous arguments, it surfaced that both Draco and Pansy had independently confirmed that Daphne had initiated and then perpetuated the conversation with the Muggle child. Naturally, her parents were appalled and rebuked Daphne further.

What shocked them most, however, was the Malfoys' severing of ties. They claimed Daphne was too terrible an influence that could not be tolerated around their precious son. It was also made clear that if the relationship were to continue, unpleasant things would happen. The Greengrasses developed a deep grudge against the Parkinsons for leaping at the chance to humiliate them. Thus, a devastated Daphne was informed that she would no longer have any contact with those who had been her dearest friends.

**.:-:.**

In addition to the restructuring of their son's education, his parents now also monitored his social activities. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, the sons of Lucius's loyal associates, were deemed ideal companions because they were too dimwitted to lead Draco astray. Pansy Parkinson, whose parents had assured them of her valiant attempts to end the Muggle interaction, was also deemed acceptable company. However, they were still watched carefully and never left unsupervised, lest they fall back into bad habits or worse, reminisce.

Except for Draco and Pansy, none of the children who had grown up together communicated or saw each other until it came time for them to attend Hogwarts.

* * *

A/N: This incomplete story has been sitting in a folder and transferred around computers for years because I could never figure out what exactly happened after the kids were taken home; I never came up with anything really organic that fit with an old plotline I'd had in mind. That particular plotbunny has long since transmuted and I've always felt guilty about this sitting here, especially considering my own dislike of stories mysteriously abandoned. So, enjoy this last chapter and the coming epilogue. (Honestly this time. It's mostly written and everything!)


	6. Epilogue

**Growing Up in Malfoy Manor**

**.: Epilogue – Platform 9 ¾ :.**

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to it belong to J.K. Rowling and/or Warner Bros.

**.:-:.**

As Draco stepped onto the Hogwarts Express flanked by Crabbe and Goyle after bidding farewell to his parents, he looked around rather wistfully. He, Daphne, Pansy, Blaise and Theo had often discussed their first trip to Hogwarts. Little had they known their plans would never come to pass. At least he could still speak to Pansy, although he knew she didn't enjoy spending time with Crabbe or Goyle. Not that he particularly enjoyed their company either, but he didn't have much choice, did he?

Looking around for an empty compartment as his larger companions trailed dutifully behind him, he accidentally bumped into someone. Straightening and preparing a retort about watching their step, his voice died in his throat as his eyes found Theo's. His erstwhile friend held his gaze for a second before averting his eyes and brushing quickly past. Resisting the urge to turn around, Draco half-heartedly continued to his search for a compartment; at least that way he wouldn't run into anyone else.

**.:-:.**

After meeting up with Pansy and cajoling her into sharing a compartment despite Crabbe and Goyle, he spent most of the ride in his seat. Once, he convinced the other boys to come with him to check out the rumors of Harry Potter's presence as he could see Pansy's annoyance building. After his offer of friendship was rejected, which he convinced himself did not have the same sting that accompanied his parents' announcement that Daphne was no longer fit for friendship and Theo and Blaise were unavailable, Goyle had to get bitten by a _rat_, of all things. As they hurried to make their exit, he caught a glimpse of a shockingly familiar face. Although she didn't see him thanks to Crabbe's bulk, he recognized her as the Muggle, (no, _Muggleborn_, he realized) from the store all those years ago. He couldn't help the surge of resentment that rose upon seeing her, however unfair it was—after all, she had set off a chain of events that resulted in everything going wrong. Putting her out of his mind, for now at least, he stalked back to the compartment with the other two scrambling after him.

**.:-:.**

That night, Draco settled into his bed, going through the night's events – the five of them had all made it into Slytherin, three of them in the same dormitory room. After waiting a bit until he could hear the telltale snores of Crabbe and Goyle, he pushed his curtains aside.

"Are either of you awake?" he asked quietly. It was comforting to know that Crabbe and Goyle could probably sleep through a herd of rampaging hippogriffs, but he didn't want to disturb either Blaise or Theo if they were already asleep.

There was a brief silence, during which he tried to quell his disappointment, before two voices replied in the darkness.

"I'm awake," said Theo.

"Yeah, me too," replied Blaise.

Another silence fell between them, awkward and highlighting the fact that this was the first time they had spoken to each other in years. Draco wracked his brain for several moments before plunging ahead.

"We said we'd always be friends, didn't we?" he asked, a bit uncertainly. "Our – our parents don't have to know…"

"You want to sneak around?" Theo asked, wary.

"It wouldn't be easy," warned Blaise.

"I know," sighed Draco, "But…"

More silence. "I've missed you guys too," confessed Blaise, "Traveling around got boring fast."

"Yeah," agreed Theo, his voice slowly gaining in confidence, "Hogwarts is pretty big, we'd probably figure something out."

"Brilliant!" Draco breathed in relief.

"What about Pansy and Daphne?" Blaise wanted to know.

"I could ask Pansy about it," Draco suggested. He and Pansy had never had the opportunity to discuss anything like this, though, with their parents, Crabbe or Goyle, and tutors constantly hovering. He had no idea if she'd be willing to take the risk. "I'll have to ask her tomorrow."

"Speaking of tomorrow, we'd best get to sleep now," said Theo.

After they bid each other good night, Draco lay back in his bed, a heavy weight gone from his chest.

**.:-:.**

The next morning Draco woke up early and dragged Crabbe and Goyle up to the Great Hall for breakfast. Upon arriving and letting the other two settle into their meals, he pretended to have forgotten something and told them he'd meet them for their first class. That problem taken care of, he headed back to the Slytherin common room to catch Pansy before she left.

When she finally emerged from the girls' dormitories, he quickly went up to her.

"Pansy," he said seriously, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Blinking in surprise, she agreed. He caught sight of Daphne leaving the dormitories as they left the common room and felt a small pang as well as a surge of hope as he noticed Pansy glancing toward her as well.

"What is it that you have to ambush me before breakfast?" Pansy demanded after they ducked into an empty hall.

"I talked to Blaise and Theo last night," Draco blurted out. Pansy stared at him, biting her lip.

"I haven't talked to Daphne," she admitted, looking away guiltily.

"Would you?" he asked anxiously. "It'd – the three of us, me, Theo and Blaise, I mean – we want to be friends again. We'd have to sneak around of course but…" He trailed off, watching Pansy.

She closed her eyes for a few moments, before letting out a soft sigh. "I'd like that too," she admitted. "I'll talk to her. How…?"

Draco couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face, and Pansy couldn't help returning it.

"I'll let you know."

**.:-:.**

During his spare time that day, Draco looked around the grounds and castle for good secret meeting places. Unfortunately, he had to let Crabbe and Goyle tag along.

"Why're we wandering around outside now?" complained Goyle, looking annoyed. "And inside the castle earlier, too?"

"It'll be good for us to know our way around the place as much as we can," Draco replied convincingly. "It would hardly do for us to go around needing help simply because we're _lost_."

"All this walking around is making me hungry," Crabbe grumbled.

"Shut it," snapped Draco impatiently, "It isn't time for supper yet anyway."

After more exploration of the grounds accompanied by his still muttering housemates, he had decided upon a secluded area with plenty of shrubbery. During his reconnaissance inside the castle, he had found several out of the way classrooms and corridors that seemed promising.

Now they only had to figure out when to meet and how to get away without attracting attention.

**.: -:.**

Draco managed to catch Pansy in the common room a couple hours before supper. He dropped off his things in his trunk and headed back out with parchment, quill, ink, and Charms textbook in hand. He managed to lose Crabbe and Goyle by suggesting they play a game of Exploding Snap while he studied with Pansy.

"D'you want to help me figure out this charm? I don't think Flitwick explained it properly at _all_," Draco announced as he settled into a seat at Pansy's table.

"Sure," replied Pansy, shooting him a puzzled but expectant look; they both knew Flitwick had explained it perfectly well.

"Here's what I don't get," Draco said, smoothing out the parchment and scribbling down some words.

_-Have you talked?-_

"Hmm," Pansy said thoughtfully, reaching for the parchment and quill, "I think he meant…"

_Yes, we're good. When and where?_

"So kind of like this?" Draco asked, writing again.

_-Not sure – will ask tonight. When are you free?-_

_Mostly whenever we don't have class. Unlike some people, we don't have constant chaperones._ Pansy glanced over at the corner as she finished writing.

_-Very funny. Probably the same for the others, so I guess we'll have to work around me.-_

"Thanks, that makes everything so much clearer," he said aloud, nodding at Pansy.

"Sure thing, feel free to ask me for help whenever you're in danger of flunking out," she replied with a laugh.

Draco merely rolled his eyes and gathered up his things to head up for the meal.

**.: -:.**

After he could finally hear Crabbe and Goyle's snores that night, Draco sat up and pushed his curtains aside.

"Hey," he said quietly. He was met with two voices confirming Blaise and Theo were awake.

"So Pansy said she and Daphne are free pretty much whenever we're out of class. You two?"

"Same," Theo and Blaise agreed, also sitting up with their curtains pulled back.

"So it's just those two we have to worry about for now yeah? I can't believe we have to sleep through that _every night_," Blaise added with a grimace as Crabbe let out a particularly loud snort.

"Well, at least we know they're asleep," Draco replied, shrugging. He'd managed to grow used to the sound over time.

"How's Wednesday then? After supper maybe, before Astronomy?" Theo suggested.

"I can finish up early and let Crabbe and Goyle keep eating," Draco agreed.

"Sounds good. Where are we doing this?" Blaise asked.

"There's this empty room on the third floor," Draco began.

"Not _the_…" Theo started, remembering Dumbledore's warning at the Welcoming Feast.

"No, but it's sort of near there. I don't think anyone will be coming 'round," assured Draco.

He described the room he meant so that the other boys could find it. Finally, having settled on a plan, they bid each other good night and settled down to sleep.

**.: -:.**

Draco outlined their plans to Pansy the next morning and she assured him they would both be there. The remaining time until Wednesday evening could hardly pass fast enough, and before he knew it Draco was walking quietly toward their designated meeting room. He had eaten quickly and left before either Crabbe or Goyle were a third of the way through their own plates, so he expected to be the first one there. As such, he was surprised to find the room already occupied.

"Hi." It was a familiar voice, but uncharacteristically soft. Draco stared at its owner. He hadn't seen more than a glance of Daphne since they got to Hogwarts, and she was the only one of his friends that he had yet to speak to since everything had become so messed up.

"Hey," replied Draco quietly. There were a few moments of awkwardness as neither of them knew how to proceed, before Daphne straightened up and stepped closer. His remaining indecision falling away, he met her with a few steps and hugged her, Daphne responding in equal measure.

Suddenly, three more pairs of arms joined in. "Group hug!" said Blaise, grinning. The five of them broke apart, then, laughing. It was as though the past few years had never happened.

There were barely a few hours until they would have to sneak back toward the rest of the castle one by one, but the five of them made full use of them, reconnecting and reconciling. They were able to talk openly in a way that had been impossible through quick asides in dormitories and between classes. Blaise's stories of traveling and his mother's suitors prompted quick rundowns of what they had been through without each other, and each of them were glad to be among their best friends once more.

Although it would take time to figure out exactly where they stood with each other and get past old hurts and regrets, Draco, Daphne, Pansy, Blaise and Theo knew they would continue to find ways to support each other and continue this defiance of their parents. They were determined to get through everything together because they had already experienced what it was like to go on alone.

A/N: There you go, the end! A rather longer epilogue than I was expecting. Hopefully now this will stop nagging my conscience every couple of years. :)


End file.
